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Levesque in Leslieville
It’s midweek at Edward Levesque’s Kitchen with my friend Brian, catching up. This is my second visit. The first in 2009, was my daughter’s idea. Zoe has an expat’s appreciation of Toronto and a...
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Orange signage
Not a political endorsement When the opera’s on at 4:30, it makes for some intriguing possibilities, such as dinner after the show. When the dinner is chez Edward Levesque’s Kitchen the meal may be as...
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Meeting Titurel
I wrote this as a Facebook “note” in August 2009, a kind of diary entry seen only by friends. It came to mind today in an online conversation, and so I decided to revisit these thoughts. ~~~~~~~~~~~~...
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Herbivoracious
The clever turn of phrase “Urban Herbivore” echoes a favourite of yore. In Belleville more than a decade ago I used to enjoy a place called “Urban Herb” whose vegan lore and hip décor made me always...
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City-building
I suppose the headline suggests something big, when all I really want to talk about is dinner in a small town. I was in Barrie today for a play at the Mady Centre, a charming new theatre right in the...
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Pain and meds
The 1980s were a decade of pain. It was a momentous decade for me including: a marriage the birth of a child a divorce another marriage While lots happened –joyfully and painfully– on the outside, my...
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AJ Gray this is your life
Harvest Kitchen, Harbord St near Spadina Ave I came to the restaurant for AJ Gray’s art displayed on the second floor. I’d known this place in its earlier incarnations, and now it has become “Harvest...
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A conversation
One of the glories of travel is the encounter with the other. It’s fun to get to another country and talk to countrymen who just happen to be abroad. But that reminds me of the Accidental Tourist....
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The Coffee Mill and old Yorkville: multiculturalism & a changing city
When I saw the piece earlier this week in the Toronto Star about the impending closure of The Coffee Mill, I knew I had to go one last time. There really was a coffee mill in the Coffee Mill. The...
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Colourful Kensington
Late this afternoon, hungrier than I’d expected to be, I found myself at the corner of Oxford & Augusta. The Morrocan Stew I consumed at Urban Herbivore left me full. That should have been enough....
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Rite of Survival: a cheap drunk’s view
Let me first explain myself, why I’d admit (or even boast) that I’m a cheap drunk. Anyone wanting to cut to the part about the beer and avoid the theoretical talk, please skip down to the pictures. Our...
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Gourmet Schnitzel House: look eastward, Toronto
I don’t want to provoke an argument, particularly not one of those regional disputes where someone tries to suggest one place is better than another. Toronto is a city full of neighbourhoods,...
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CBD, part the first
A loving family member cajoled me to try something new today. My chief pain management strategy for dealing with my arthritic symptoms could be summed up (before tonight) with the following quote:...
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CBD, part the second
After writing two pieces last night (one about the AGO, one about a trip to a dispensary to get CBD), I decided to take one of the pills, a gel capsule containing cannabidiol (aka CBD). Please note,...
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Vegan in Toronto
Where would you take a visitor to Toronto if you knew (s)he were vegan or vegetarian? I was in a rut for awhile, with two standard answers to that question, one in Kensington Market, one on Bloor St....
View ArticleWhat I learned from Bourdain
Anthony Bourdain, a man of contradictions, has died. Yes he ended his life, but he seemed to know more about how to enjoy life than anyone I can think of. As I watch CNN’s marathon of favourite...
View ArticleThe pain I felt reading Kathleen Turner’s interview
There’s a great deal in Kathleen Turner’s fascinating recent interview with David Marchese. So naturally if you’re a beautiful actress people will react, comment, and draw their own conclusions about...
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Pain in the neck
What is dignity if not a kind of self-respect. You notice it most when it’s not there, perhaps taking it for granted otherwise. I got my hair cut on the way to a concert. In passing I want to make a...
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Tick talk
From time to time I venture away from the path of opera, symphony & theatre. Tuesday night as Erika & I were getting ready for bed, having brushed & flossed and made ourselves ready for...
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Talking to Stacey about fearing fear: Choose Joy
When you have a toothache you go to the dentist. When you’re feeling troubled in spirit where do you go? At times in my life I’ve gone to a psychotherapist or to a church for solace. Live theatre &...
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